Written Answers Friday 13 February 2009

Scottish Executive

Air Services

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many direct flights connect London and Scotland each day.

Stewart Stevenson: Information on the number of direct flights connecting London and Scotland each day is set out in the following table:

  Information for week 9-15 February 2009 in Current Timetables

  

 
 Monday
 Tuesday
 Wednesday
 Thursday
 Friday
 Saturday
 Sunday


 London to Scotland
 75
 88
 117
 103
 109
 111
 115


 Scotland to London
 78
 87
 118
 103
 107
 111
 111


 Total flights London/Scotland/London
 153
 175
 235
 206
 216
 222
 226

Carers

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive where a report of the National Carers’ Conference held on 27 January 2009 can be accessed.

Shona Robison: I was delighted to have the opportunity to address this important conference. It was a very positive event which brought together carers and local and national policy makers. It empowered carers to have their say about the provision of local carer support, and enabled delegates to share examples of good practice in this vital area.

  As the event organisers, Glasgow Caledonian University and the National Carer Organisations will be producing a report on the outcomes of this conference in due course. Once finalised, this report will be available on the Glasgow Caledonian website, which can be accessed via www.gcal.ac.uk.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19791 by Maureen Watt on 29 January 2009, whether it plans to record centrally and report the number of pupils caught carrying a knife at school.

Fiona Hyslop: There are no plans to record centrally and report the number of pupils caught carrying a knife at school.

Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland

Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of its plans for the future of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland as part of new scrutiny bodies for social and health care.

Shona Robison: I am aware of concerns expressed by stakeholders about this proposal, particularly about the perceived loss of independence for the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland (MWCS) and the safeguarding role.

  That is why Cabinet agreed earlier this week that while the MWCS will remain very much part of the simplification programme we will step back at this time from taking the MWCS’ functions into either the new health or the new social care body.

  We will discuss further with the MWCS and engage directly with stakeholders on the way forward. At the same time we will review the operation of the MWCS over the next four to six months to establish how best to take the MWCS forward as part of the simplification programme.

NHS Finance

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the capital allocations have been to NHS Tayside in each year since 2005-06.

Nicola Sturgeon: The formula capital allocations made to NHS Tayside since 2005-06 are shown in the following table:

  

 Year
£ Million


 2005-06
 16.906


 2006-07
 20.276


 2007-08
 24.347


 2008-09
 24.650


 2009-10
 25.030

Vaccinations

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the MMR vaccination uptake rate was in NHS Tayside in each of the last three years, broken down by community health partnership.

Shona Robison: MMR vaccination uptake rates by community health partnership are published on the Information Service Division (ISD) Scotland website under Child Health at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/ch-immunisation.jsp?pContentID=5407&p_applic=CCC&p_service=Content.show&.

  Data is available by calendar year for 2006 and 2007 and by quarter from the period ending 30 June 2006 to 30 September 2008. Data for the quarter and calendar year ending 31 December 2008 will be published at the end of March 2009.